Coach Mike Shelley takes a young Canada A rugby side, bolstered by a dash of experience, to Uruguay on Sunday for the Americas Pacific Challenge.

The developmental tournament is intended to expose up-and-coming players to the international game.

Veteran front-rowers Ray Barkwill and Hubert Buydens are in the tour side but for specific reasons.

Barkwill will serve as a mentor to hookers Eric Howard and Martial Lagain. Buydens, like fellow prop Rob Brouwer, is coming back from injury and is using the tournament to get some playing time. Forward Kyle Gilmour is also returning from injury.

Young players like Guiseppe du Toit and Lucas Rumball have spent time with the senior side, as has back Patrick Parfrey.

“The rest of the squad are pretty inexperienced,” said Shelley.

“This is a chance for our best domestic players to get out there,” he added.

It’s also another chance to look at players who qualify for Canada through their bloodlines. Lagain is a former Bayonne Academy hooker while English-born fly half Robbie Povey, a former Canada under-20 player, played for Bedford.

Both are now based in Canada.

“For all our young players going, it’s a huge opportunity for them to show us that they’re able to go to the next level,” said Shelley, who serves as forwards coach for the Canadian senior side. “Because we’ve got to get some depth built in our senior squad.”

Shelley will be assisted in Uruguay by newly announced academy coach Francois Ratier, formerly coach of the Canadian women’s team, and Ontario Blues coach Chris Silverthorn.

Canada will open Oct. 7 against Argentina XV before facing Tonga A on Oct. 11 and the USA Selects on Oct. 15. All three games are in Montevideo.

Uruguay and Samoa A are also competing. This year’s winner will be decided by tournament points after the three rounds.

Argentina XV won the inaugural tournament last year, edging the Fiji Warriors 27-26 in the final.

The Canadian senior team, currently ranked 24th in the world, is due to play the New Zealand Maori All Blacks in Vancouver on Nov. 3 before heading to Europe to face No. 12 Georgia on Nov. 11 in Tbilisi, No. 19 Spain on Nov. 18 in Madrid and No. 9 Fiji on Nov. 25 in Montpellier, France.

Newly named coach Kingsley Jones will be in charge for the November tests.